Modulation Showdown - Mobius vs MD-200 

Thanks for going so in depth on all of this!

man I'd love to see more comparison videos from you! You're very good at explaining the differences! Would be neat to have you put the GFI Synethesia against the mobius!

Definitely all in what your needs are. I agree a better comparison would be the Boss MD500. It's not any smaller than the Mobius but WAY more options and ways to customize your sounds. Easy to read screen and you can see all the options quick and easy. So much easier to program than the Mobius to me. Had the Timeline and Bigsky as well and replaced them all with the Boss 500 series. The ability to run 2 effects at once is crazy and with the RV500 you can actually run 2 different Reverbs and 2 different Delay times all in parallel with each other which keeps all that wash from ever sounding muddy, especially in stereo. Perfect if you want reverb and a nice roland space echo tape delay sound in one pedal. Definitely worth looking into if you're looking for something in that range.

I tried a Mobius and think it’s great. Especially the rotary and vibe sounds, but the various modes of Choruses, Flangers and Phasers sounds were all outstanding too. I will get one someday.

Great video man - liked and subbed

On the rotary effect, you can hold the "Memory/Tap" switch and this tap between Slow and Fast. That's also how you Tap tempo in the time-based effects. I just got the MD-200 and couldn't recommend it enough. But the Mobius is the goal when I have the budget.

I love the Destroyer and Quadrature presets on the Mobius haha. Its worth mentioning the Quadrature is a ring modulator, which is an effect that is understandably too weird for some. I really like the simple playing/straight forward approach for the comparison, it helps to hear the differences between the two pedals.

Got to factor in price too - the MD gives you a whole lot for about $200 on Reverb. Also, you can set which parameter to control by expression, which makes the rotary sound much easier to control. In the menu you can set low and high so you never go beyond what you want, but can control the speed you get to each

I own both of these pedals - I think the mobius sounds better overall, but it just takes up so much real estate on the board. For that reason, along with the comparable chorus effects, I switched to the MD on the board.

Well done I like the Boss D/A so I got it. Thank you.

Congrats on the great video! I have the Mobius and love it... but i was thinking about downsizing my pedalboard and hoped the MD200 could fill that spot. I'm afraid it can't, especially because i love rotary. If i need to shrink the setup (and have to accept some loss of efx quality) makes more sense to have an multi fx like HX Stomp or Ampero II doing all mods, delays and reverbs, plus the possibility to play without an amp.

Great job dude- thank you !

In my opinion - your videos definitely should have more views, thanks for your job! Keep going!

serious question. What can the Mobius do that I can't accomplish with a Timeline and/or Big Sky outside of the flanger (which I don't use)? I use a MXR Phase 90 eVh for my phaser. Not sure if I need buy a mobius. I'm having the same quandary over the Volante.

I’m looking into the MD 200 mainly because I use modulation a lot less than I do reverb and delay. As amazing as the Mobius is it to me wouldn’t be worth the money for me because modulation is my least used effect.

Where do your source the materials to make the custom length MIDI to TRS cables? I make all my own patch cables already and have the soldering iron, etc, but can't seem to find anywhere online that just sells the connectors and cable to do it.

Great video but Just one recommendation. EVH used his phaser into a cranked Marshall. So that's phaser pedal intro drive pedals. I'm not sure if that's the set up in the video

I had an MD500 on my board for a couple years and here’s my takeaway. If you don’t use drive with your modulation effects, it’s a BRILLIANT pedal…it’s deep, swirly and beautiful. My issue is that I typically pair my mod sounds with a tube screamer or a nobels odr…and the MD would do this odd thing where it hacked ~1-5k out of my treble sound and left my drives sounding kind of brittle and anemic. I wish to god that wasn’t the case because I loved that pedal and actually liked some of its sounds more than the wampler terraform I’m using now. Again, if you’re all clean with your mods, you’ll love the MD series…but my drives are just too important to me and I rely on these sounds for my job. For what it’s worth, I’m not selling the MD…overdrive issues aside, it sounds nicer than the mobius to my ears.

Does the MD200 have FX loop like Mobius (pre/post) ? It'd be useful to be able to put the modulation after or before reverb&delay based on the patches

I wish theyd just include OLED displays on these. Thanks for a super informative video 🙏

Thank you for making this!

Great comparison. Id be curious if you ever tried Wampler terraform..thx

Just bought the md 200 today. Absolutely love it

Very accurate - nearly scientific quality. I appreciate it!

hey man a while you made a video about why you should get a 2x12 instead of a 4x12 how to you feel about vertical 2x12

Thanks man. I found this really useful. 👍

We’ll done. Thx mate

"Dude, somebody's been messing with my fricken phaser!"

I gather you can only use one effect at the same time with both of these. Helpful video. No way I'm paying that much for a Mobius when the MD200 is that good.

The Wampler Terraform fits in with these two. I'm curious what you think of it. I suppose it doesn't have the LCD screen

Nice job! You've helped me make up my mind!

I’ve had the Mobius on my board for about 6 years. I only use three mod FX: chorus, phaser and rotary. The chorus in the Mobius is so lack-luster that I cannot use it and had to resort to adding a TC SCF Gold to my board for chorusing. Reading the MD-200 manual a few days ago. I am pretty sure it said that while in rotary mode, the right footswitch no longer serves as a memory preset recall, but as the slow/fast rotor speed changeover. Yet you specifically said the only way to go from one speed to the other is by turning one of the parameter knobs? Also, is it possible to adjust the rotary speed ramp time on the MD-200? Thanks!

If John Malkovich had a mean beard and a man bun, he might look a lot like you. Rock on man, sweet review! \m/

What you said on the slow/fast of the MD-200 is not true. You can set the tap tempo to do that.

I have both and the Boss lets you run two effects in parallel or at same time while Strymon Mobius only lets you run a single effect at one time. But the Mobius has a looper I think so that is cool. Both are great but large pedals.

It sounds like the “Vibe” effects had no “throb” like a UniVibe.

great video.. I was interested in both pedals...Conclusion: Wampler Terraform

Hi ! I've just bought the md 200, i've an es-8, and i've not a single Idea about how to change presets on the md... How Can i do it please ?

I thought I’d bricked my 200 series pedal too. That updater is finicky as hell

Why do the shootout between something that's not it's competitor.. The MD500 stacks up better because it's more similar of a unit.

Is the MD200 analog? And true bypass?

Awesome content. Subbed!

Why not u checkout GFI's Synesthesia, dual engine modulation pedal, with a good size display on it. It is seriously an awesome sounding modulation pedal. You can have up to two mod fx simultaneously.

Great video .....and I've made my decision....I'm going with the Line 6 MM4 for $85.00 ....in fact its on the way ...

I only have room for the md200, plus I have a dd200 sitting right next to it. So my only option if i get the strymon is a smaller delay

Nice comparison but i feel the md 500 would of been a closer one , both great units but i perfer my md500 to the mobius when i had it .

Am I able to use multiple effects that the MD-200 provides?

I like you dude, you're straight up. 5/5

The new Sidekick Jr pedal has Chorus, Reverb and delay in one pedal to allow way more space.

Kick ass Symphony X poster man

Manbun. Love your videos and you taught me a ton about the ES 8. On this one however I have to disagree. Boss is king of chorus. MD-200 has some cool sounds and sounds less digital than Mobius IMO. It takes up less space on the pedal board. Fully midi capable -- it is just a different system/set up than Mobius. True, the screen is small and the codes can be a little non-intuitive to read, but that's true with most Boss stuff. Once you adapt, it is fine. Keep up with the videos!

Rotary speed on MD200 is the Memory/Tap switch. See page 7. Still I like the MBMH channel :-)

Can you play multiple effects at the same time with these pedals?

So many of the negatives on the MD-200 are due to it being a cut-down MD-500 which has a much better screen, the third footswitch does the Rotary speed switch and many of the other things work in the MD500, but of course it's a bigger pedal so takes up about the same space as the Moebius.

On the MD 200 rotary effect you can change speed by simply stepping on the right hand switch.

You would get rid of destroyer? That’s one of the best ones for making lofi.

With the MD 200, can you use 2 modulation at once?

Good demo I think il shy away from both like you mentioned an unjustice of the mobius which I found with the time line which in turn I have the dd 200.The 200 dd is the most inspiring pedal I've ever owned i am self taught basement player of 20 plus years .even after getting the time line for 400 canadian its just ro much tweaking the dd allowed me as soon as i turned it on to be in a very musical preset there is alot to learn about it but guess what I dont care its a solid 10 I even had the 500 and to me the 200 is the best of what the 500 has to offer .thanks for helping me with this video .it made me be a subscriber. I have also owned the od 200 meh not impressed over all .lol.i would love to see a demo on the 200 series eq . Again thanks Tim from london canada

Thumbs up man! This is by far the best review about this pedal. I own the md 200. All you say about this pedal is right. Please review the ehx mod11. Better than the boss for tremolo rotary and autowah IMO. But md 200 better for stage and rehearsal functionalities. Presets and stéréo.

I'm going with the MD-200 cause my board is tiny, and the Mobius is insanely expensive in Canada.

Going to stick with my TC electronic Dreamscape for now

I guess I could get used to it but menu diving in the MD-200 with that screen would give me anxiety.

how many memory have the Boss MD200???

Strymon stuff sounds great but it is just too complex. At the end of the day I want to play my guitar, not the pedal. Boss for the win!

just the thought of updating a pedal is a no go for me... keeping my setup as analog as possible.

The Mobius retails for $750 and the MD-200 is over $400 in my country.

Strymon mobius vs boss md 500!?🤔

I was on the fence about getting the MD 200 and you just completely saved me 200$, Mobious does offer you quality but 450 or even 350 is way too much, specially because those “extra” effects literally sound like garbage

And what about using the pedals in 4 cable method? For example, one preset with the phaser before the preamp and then switch to other preset with a chorus in the FX loop? Can I do this with both pedals?

A few inaccuracies on this video. One is that the MD has a few more phaser modes than you mentioned.

best combo delay/reverb ----> source audio collider

The Strymon sound quality is so much better especially it's made in the U.S. compred to the Boss made in Malaysia.

Meet in the middle at the Terraform!

That extra $200 on strymon worth it. I always find boss tries to deliver too much in underengineered/substandard way in it’s every multi pedal/floorboards.

Is there any multi effects modulation pedal with less functionality but a better overall sound? These two sound unnatural and too digital to me

I bought the Joyo Vision, good enough

soooo must wistful staring ....... look at all that wist hold a chord.....WIST listen to the swoosh.....WIST Joking aside, this is a great side by side - makes me feel happy enough that my MD-200 isn't a complete dog, but also makes me wonder HOW much I might want an upgrade Someone is selling a Wampler Terraform for £220 - and i could get about £160-£180 for my MD-200 but am I just changing it for the sake of 'the endless quest' us guitarists go on? Not like there are any gigs on at the moment anyway! haha @manbunmetalhead - have you played through a Terraform since this video?

I had the MD200 and to me it sounded weird with distortion or OD in front of it, it had a "fishy" top end. I didn't like it taking line in neither. The Mobius is Solid! The only plus on the MD200 to me is the Slicer.

The fact that you can't program the footswitches on the MD200 to control the slow/fast speeds on the Vibe and Rotary effects is a disappointing feature omission.

The fair comparison is MD500 to Mobius.

Is it bad that I didn’t enjoy the sounds of either of them? 🙁

Very good review. It’s clear that these units won’t replace my separate analog trem, phaser or chorus pedals. Both units sound quite digital to my ears.

I agree with some of the comments below...the "fair" comparison would have been between the Mobius and the Boss MD-500, not the 200.

#TeamMobius

I think this is not fair comparison. Strymon Mobius should be compared with Boss MD-500 not MD-200.

The ce1 mode sounds like crap compared to a ACTUAL CE1. modulation effects are strymons weakness...they make great delays and reverbs. Digital modulation effects always disappoint. There's no replacing a mn3002 chip

MORBIUS 2 ITS MORBIN TIME!!!!!!!!!!

Flanger in both sound so digital.

2:50 why some things are preferred as an analog effect.

"...Quadrature, which is just another way to turn your signal into garbage." - Way too sloppy description of such a cool modulation machine.

0:32 woah calm down

Neither did a Phase 90 close to the OG.

Actually, everything can replace a Strymon pedal imo. They charge a ridicilous ammount of money for all their products. The quality does not even come close to the price you pay. To me, they are like the 'Nord' of the pedal world. Relatively new, good, but nothing special at all but yet charge even more than the popular brands. I dont understand why anyone, anyone at all would buy a Strymon pedal. I do agree with you about the flanger, tho. The Phaser on the Mobius sounds more like a Univibe to me? Whereas the MD200 sounds like a classic phaser.

A GIANT HAT ON THE BONNET OF A BUICK

I using a Deja-Vibe and a Seymour D Polaron - it's too late for me.

The vibrato on both units doesn't at all sound like the vibrato on an old Fender tube amp. That's what I'm looking for. These both suck!

You missed the part wher the MD200 has built in gain pedals for the Vibe and a few others. Not a very good deep dive. You owned the mObious for years so you know the feature set. Obviously you didnt even mess with the parameters bc its very also the tap is the slo easy to get that and you have options that you completely missed as well like you can move the md200 anywhere in the chain the rotary has a slow and fast as well its called the tap button.... wow. You dont even have it on the md200.

The strymon Ola sounds way better

The MD-200 phaser is very nasal compared to the MXRc Phase 90. No thanks!

In short. If you are a professional, stuck by practicality, sound quality, equipment construction, versatility, mobius is the wayto go. It is not surprising the difference of 200 dollars in the final price